Hey up anyone interested in gathering some cash together and lending their car for 12 weeks?

Comma.Ai build self driving/auto pilot systems that can be retrofitted to older cars, (will be a big market for them in the UK soon) after the government has decided driverless tech will be allowed on our roads. Info based on 29/04/2021

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56906145.amp

It's open source project so any budding code ninjas out there might be worth looking at!

The guy who runs it is George Hotz (he's the guy that has kacked cars at BlackHat in Vegas for things like keyless entry or remote start and creates IOS jailbreak stuff, hes a clever guy!) They have focused on Honda and Hyundai at first (im guessing as they are the easiest to hack but offer to reverse engineer and make it available for any make within 12 weeks!

For a fee $10000 down payment and $250K total and they need a doner car for testing and calibration

https://comma.ai/services/car-ports

Interesting stuff! If I had the cash I'd commision it myself but I dont so thats off the table, one would assume it shouldn't be too difficult to do either when you consider this type of autonomy is already partly built in to the L494 and L405 (and other LR models) from 2013 on.

Park assist turns the steering and applies the brake (you just need to change forward or reverse) parallel or perpendicular
Park assist also helps you steer out of a parking space parallel or perpendicular if you have the right pack
The cars have blind spot monitoring and rear traffic collison sensor (if specced)
Lane Departure Warning reads the road ahead and vibrates the steering to warn you (the LKA system on the later models steers it back in)
Traffic sign Recog use the same forward camera in the mirror to read traffic signs
Emergency brake, well it brakes for you!
AAC Cruise control drives (straight and level so to speak) so it will brake and match speeds of the car in front and break in queues to a stop ready for you to dab the accelerator to restart.

So the car is almost there anyway it's just stitching it all together! Although their system operates all of this independantly of inbuilt car systems but seeing as the cars have electric steering, tech like that it should be highly possible.

I like driving but this would be handy on a motorway or those times when you really need to take a call or look for something online or are just a bit bored sat in traffic! (this tech could also be used to limit cars speeds in areas disgnated such as in city centres or outside schools etc..... or in time when the limit has been reduced for roadworks or and accident!)

Would take 1000 of us to put in $250 each and maybe a little help from someone over in the US near were they are San Diego (I'm happy to go over there for 12 weeks to help out! Nudge Nudge Wink Wink!) If they could do it over here then I'm game!

I'm sure they will work on the the popular US brands first as LR are luxury items over there so might not be such a big market for them, that said I'm sure lots of LR owners would luv this feature as it would bring an already great car into th 21st century as far as tech goes without having to upgrade to a new model that still doesnt have this feature, one would assume as time goes by this device could be upgraded to cover later models or possibly taken onboard by the mfrs to standardise driver less tech who knows!

Could be interesting times! Just think if all cars had this tech the roads would probably be much safer as the human element is normally the part that fails! This is a great idea as it means that all cars could be rerto-fitted to use the tech so it would only be new models that could benefit, then if they could all talk to each other they would all be aware that another car ahead is slowing or has a problem or the driver is asleep etc.... and then pass the message onto the all surrouding cars to be aware or take action even if the car is in manual mode!

There is also the scope in the future for you to send the car to a destination using satnav integration so we could all be like Knightrider! And summon KITT just by talking to our Apple Watch (other manufactures also available). I feel sorry for maybe Uber drivers and taxis but then they would still be needed for non car owners etc..... or for people who do not have designated parking where they live.

Just think I could drive down to the pub and and then get collected! (not right now but in the future when its allowed!) Or in the world of the electric cars you could drive into town or work and then send the car off somewhere to go and charge and then not have to find your car as it would come and meet you! Only issue would be is this might cause an obesity issue as some might do even less walking than they do already!

All crazy but pretty cool at the same time! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

Not for me, the driving experience is why I have an RRS. If its just for A to B travel then any old banger from local taxi firm or Uber would do. RRS HSE Dynamic SDV6 2014

Nemo mortalium omnibus horus sapit

Oh I agree I like the drive in them too but its pretty cool tech for when you want it is where its cool, those early morning trips to the airport and the return ones from a longhaul flight where sleep is never easy (unless you turn left on the plane and get a bed that is), or just those boring treks on a busy motorway when the weather is bad and its bumper to bumper it would be handy! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder